WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2370, 3 August 1899, Page 8

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNC IL.

The ordinary meeting of ttfa Waikouaiti County Council was held in the Council Chambers, Hawksbury, on Friday last, at which there were present — Tho Chairman (Mr J. Portebus), and Crs O. Duke, J. Foote, A. Graham, A. S. Orbell. and W. Souter. FINANCE. Accounts, for the month, amounting to £123 0s lOd were passed for payment. PETITIONS. W. Love and nine other ratepayers in the Blueskin district petitioned the council drawing attention to the unsatisfactory state of the Middle' District road, and asking to have some rotten rock spread on it. Som» of tho petitionera offered to contribute to the cost in. labour. — The matter was deferred until the spring. J. Galbraith and nine other ratepayers in the Hawksbury Riding petitioned tho council to have tho road widened, and the grades reduced on road from sections 41, 42, 43, blook V. to section 8, block HI, Bawksbury district. — Referred to the inspector fo* a report. inspector's bbport. Warrington Road.— To carry out the work applied for by P. Masterton and other ratepayer* on road in the Warrington district would require 16 chains reformation and 180 yds motal; estimated cost, £47. — Tenders to be called for the work. Heath's Application. — This application to have some repairs effected on tha road line betwesn sections 64 and 69, blook V, North Harbour and Blueskin district, would require a bank 2 chains in length and 2ft deep ; estimated coit, £3 10s. — Referred 'to the inspector. Waikouaiti River — To remove tha soa wall at the entrance of the Waikouaffci River, applied for by Drake and others, would b» of no benefit. — Matter deferred. CORRE3BONDEN6e. The Secretary, CharitablaAid Board, .Dunedin, wrote requesting payment* to ba made monthly. — Received, this, being tha usual mode of payment by the council. The Commissioner of Taxes, Wellington, wrote intimating that a voucher for the payment (if £125, subsidy on rates for year 1898- ' 99, had been sent to the Treasury for payment. — Received. Mr Allen, M.H.R., wrote acknowledging receipt of petition from residents at Warrington applying for a grant-in-aid of repairs to road, and to do what he could to forward the wishes of the petitioners. — Received. Mr MvLean, district engineer, Dunedin, wrote pointing out that there already existed a good level private crossing, with gates, lietwesn suctiona 12 and 59, block XII, Native Reserve, and that if tho counoil desiced a public level crossing, cattle stops would be necessary, and would have to be put ia at the expense* of tho council. Application, however, would havv> to be made to the chief engineer. — Received. The Secretory to the Treasury, Wellington, intimated, that the sum of £11 2s, goldfields revenue, had been remitted to the credit of the council at the Bank of New Zealand, Waikouaiti. — Received. The Under-colouiai Secretary, Wellington, wrote stating that tho matter of the release of tho Pukoteraki Recreation Reserve had been referred to tho Land and Surroy department to deal with. — Received. Dr W. H. Borrio, Port Chalmer3, reported two cases of scarlet fever at Carey's Bay. Botlv cases had been isolated, and arrangements, made for the removal of th« patiouts. — The doctor to bo lhamked for tha information. Mr T. Pratb, M.H.R., Wellington, wrote asking for information with respeot to the expenditure of the voto of £25 for Bruin's Point-road and Oomer^Buah. road, required by the Lands doparlmentJ^lieceived, the information having been supplied. -, Mr D. M. Findlay, solicitor, Palmerston, forwarded certificate re closing and exchange of road line in sections 59, 32, block 11, Waikouaiti. — Received. Mr A. Semple, Waitati, wrote asking the council to open and construct a branch of the Wnitati- wakiu-i road through section 8, and past tho boundaries of sections 28 and 29, block III.— Mr C. Smith, manager, Alliance Assurance Company, Dunedin, also wrote asking tho council to form road to givo access to sections 28 and 29, block 111. — Referred to the inspector for a report. ; Mr H. Andrews, Maneford Town, wrote drawing attention, to tho state of the footpath in Slant street, which required gravelling, and the bank protected by a handrail or fence. — Referred to tho inspector. The Town Clerk, Port Chalmers, wrote calling attention to the state of the road from the Upper Blueskin road to tho road from the sexton's house to the cemetery. — Referred to the inspector. ', Mr H. M'Kay, Heyward's Point, applied to have something done to the road leading to section 50, block V, North Harbour and Blueskin district. — Consideration deferred in the meantime. Mr T. Smith, Waikouaiti, applied to have some repairs done to tho mountain track road leading past Gilmour Bros., to enable him to get mining plant to the river. — Received. Messrs Allen and White, Merton, applied to have five or six chains of the road leading to their properties gravelled.— Referred to the inspector. Mr Thomas Jonea, Moonlight, complained .of the existence of a- dam on road loading to run 121h, used by Mr D. M'Rae, which caused the water to overflow, and flooded his land, and made the crossing dangerous a.nd impassable. — The clerk was instructed to notify Mr M'Rae to removo the nuisance. Mr W. A. M'Lean, Mansford Town t applied to have the road leading to his proporty metalled. — Consideration deferred. Mr E. Carey, Evansdale, wrote complaining of the surface water onDodd's road flowing on tg lus proneriY, instead si following its

natural course on the side of the road.—Referred to the inspector to attend to. Mr W. Ferguson, seoretary to the Welling>ton Harbour Board, wrote re the Public Contracts Bill introduced into the House of Representatives by the Hon. the Premier. — The council resolved — " That in the opinion of this council many of the clauses of tho billas at present constituted are. quite unnecessary and unworkable, and strongly urge the members representing the district, Messrs Allen and T. Pratt, M.H.R.'s, and Minister for Lands, to endeavour to get the bill amended before it becomes law." CONTRACTS. 1 The following tenders were accepted: — i Contract 678, W. Campbell, £39 10s ;•■ contract 679, D. Read, £79 14a; contract 680, £91; contract 631,-Mitohell and Inland, £44; contract 682, Brooks, £26 10s ;• Campbell and Reid, £56. OTHER MATTERS. The council resolved to "levy a- general rate ■ of Jd in the £ for the current year, payable in one sum, on the 16th -September, 1899 j to invite tenders for the ereotion of a plank bridge at Manson's Ford, North-East valley Riding, and for . the improvement of Jen- • ning's road, in the Blue3ldn Riding. It was also resolved to take legal proceedings for the recovery of all rate 3 remaining unpaid at the end of August next. ' The question "of surfacemen's wages was deferred for consideration to the new council in November next " Cr Souber- reported in referencei:cgt^e action, ' -he had taken in the matter' of tlieVsfejvll bird - nuisance, in- communicating with^StHe '-Wai-- ■ homo County Council, and the success^attending some poisoned grain obtained- from the ' Ashburton Drug Company. .-*ess- * The annual balance sheet, certified to by the Auditor-general, was approvetf^by tho council. The council then adjourned. The rise in the value of property caused by tho advance in tho dredging industry is well " exemplified (says tho Cromwell Argus) by the fact that 12 months ago a Cromwell resident bought seven town sections for £70. On Monday he sold three of them at a price only a few pounds short of what he paid for the seven.